February 23 to March 10, 2021 ribbon Canada Winter Games 2007
Judo
2007, March 2nd:
Speed, strength, strategic smarts, emotional control — these are some of the attributes judo athletes bring to the mat.

Candice Broughm of Team Nova Scotia says, “Very few of us have them all. If you know what your opponent likes to do, you strategize how to take advantage of her weaknesses and how to avoid her strengths. My strength is to react quickly to my opponent. My weakness can be that I get way too nervous.”

Team mate Cory Fraser’s self-identified mat traits are similar. “My weakness is that I can get nervous and stressed. My strengths are that I’m quick and I can react well.”

Jessica Lavers, 55-57 kg class, admits, “I don’t know what my strength is. One of them is that I always stay really calm, but that’s a weakness, too. Another weakness is that I can get a little intimidated if my opponent is really tanked-out.”

“Jessica is really aggressive,” laughs Candice, perhaps because she took up the sport to compete with her older brother.

On Wednesday, team mate Matt Vaughan won silver in the 55 – 60 kg category.